Kyle Shanahan hiring son of 49ers great to coaching staff

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is adding a familiar name to his coaching staff.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the 49ers are hiring Roman Sapolu, the son of franchise great Jesse Sapolu. The elder Sapolu was a four-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman during his decorated career in San Francisco.

Roman Sapolu previously participated in the 49ers' Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship in 2018, gaining early experience within the organization. Later that year, he became the offensive line coach at Idaho State before spending three seasons (2019–2021) as Fresno State's offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

Sapolu continued building his résumé at the University of Hawai'i, serving as offensive line coach from 2022 to 2023 before being promoted to co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He made the coaching jump to the NFL in 2024, working as an offensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins.

Before transitioning into coaching, Sapolu played interior offensive line at Oregon State from 2010 to 2014.